Sydney siege

The 16-hour Sydney hostage crisis came to a tragic end in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Two hostages, along with the Islamist gunman, were killed after police stormed a café in Sydney at around 2:10am local time.

The 50-year-old Iranian captor, who had taken 17 people hostage inside the Lindt chocolate cafe located in the city's business district, was Man Haron Monis – a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer" who was granted political asylum in Australia in 1996.

The two hostages who died were identified as 34-year-old Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson and 38-year-old Sydney lawyer Katrina Dawson.

Six people were injured, including three women and a police officer who are being treated for gunshot wounds.